


At the Helm

by YaminoTenshi202



Series: Nobility [1]
Category: The Lorax (2012), The Lorax - Dr. Seuss
Genre: Alternate Universe - Book/Movie Fusion, Ambiguity, Death is not ambiguous though, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Multi, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-16
Updated: 2017-10-30
Packaged: 2018-02-25 04:31:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 14
Words: 10,282
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2608586
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YaminoTenshi202/pseuds/YaminoTenshi202
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The boy seemed sincere, thoughts in paucity<br/>And the Once-ler wondered when on Earth he<br/>Changed from a Once-ler into The Once-ler<br/>He turned to the boy to whom he’d defer<br/>「I will call you by my Whisper-ma-Phone,<br/>for the secrets I tell you are for your ears alone.」</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Cockswain

Inside the Lerkim, he stayed holed up tight.

The Once-ler would try to stay warm at night

With his final Thneed wrapped around his neck fast,

He’d close his eyes, see how long sleep would last

Against his eyelids, he saw the soft Fluff

And the Truffula Trees, he missed enough

 

Missed enough that his Thneed was his one care

And memories of the forest once there

Around his store, where the Bar-ba-loots grew

Eating tree fruit in their Bar-ba-loot suits

 

And the Swomee Swans colored the whole sky

The Humming Fish hummed their songs, in mind’s eye

Of the Once-ler, who longed for all to return

Whose heart in his sleep would begin to burn

 

At the sound of the alarm down the stairs

The Once-ler opened his eyes, tried to care.

He looks outside to the boy down below

And he gestures to his pail and old rope

In go fifteen cents and a rusty nail,

Shell of a great-great-great-grandfather snail

 

The Once-ler put them into the Snuvv hole

Where no secrets left, words hidden like moles

He thinks of the boy, eyes young and bright-like

Pools of hope there, potential; not unlike --

 

『I’ll bigger my fact’ries! Oh yes, I will!

Do you think I care of the things I kill?

This will make me happy! I’ll make you see!

You’ll be stuck in the Glump, envying me!』

 

「Go away!」he wants to tell the young lad

At the thought, some... thing in him grew quite sad

The Once-ler looked down to his final Thneed

And thought of the life he’d chosen to lead

He turned from the Snuvv, and he saw the world

Oh yes! A chance of redemption unfurled!

 

Now the Once-ler, pensive, thought of his tale

Of the boy who sat quietly by his pail

「I didn’t think anyone cared ‘bout the trees」

The boy nodded and asked 「Could you tell me please?

What happened to all of the trees? Could you…

 

「Even tell me what happened to the Lorax?

Back when my Grammy saw green Grickle grass,

And bears, swans, and fish lived in Trufulla Valley?

They went with the Lorax… Could you please tell me?」

 

The boy seemed sincere, thoughts in paucity

And the Once-ler wondered when on Earth he

Changed from a Once-ler into The Once-ler

He turned to the boy to whom he’d defer

「I will call you by my Whisper-ma-Phone,

for the secrets I tell you are for your ears alone.」


	2. Deadlight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 『Yes, perhaps that was the beginning of the maddening  
> Of the Noisy-voicies and the Baddening』

「Before I was the Once-ler, I was a young man

I was like you; young, ready with a plan.」

He tells the boy his story, from the start

When he wanted to make and sell his art

But he left out details that made his stomach turn

About family, sweeties, and a musical churn

 

Churn, he would do, to have music sing

And it was always the most wonderful thing

Mama would have him push the Canto-phone away

But as a little Once-ler, he’d have it play

Very soft like his sweeties, sweet like the milk

Of the butterflies; on his ears, gentle silk

 

He’d play it soft in his room, alone

While his brothers, outside, would groan

About their small little brother, who was a big bore

Once-ler would be inside, reading on Moore

He loved his wit, and his Mama was pleased

That he was always so quiet, even when he sneezed

When he was silent, he was a good Once-ler

If he wasn’t, he would get a loud slur

Bad Once-lers don’t get good things; Not balls

Jacks, flapjacks, or get to play with Grizelda’s dolls

They can’t play concerts to the toys!

They are punished for all of their wretched noise!

 

These words always stuck, gum to his one heart

But from his Mama, family, he never could part

Mama was always there, saying, surely, good things

About how one day, if he works, they’d live like kings

So Mama would stay, always keeping him close

Once-ler wanted her to be happy the most

So he would set off into the world to grow,

To make Thneeds, and have Mama’s eyes glow

Out to the world he went with few trinkets

Leaving with the accompanying whinchats

 

『My father did, too, though I never met him

But he left his guitar for me like a phantom limb』

As he continued to speak of his travels,

The Once-ler spoke, while he slowly unraveled

『Yes, perhaps that was the beginning of the maddening

Of the Noisy-voicies and the Baddening』

 

「I was in search of things such as these!--」

『THOSE! Those things you once called Trufulla Trees!』

 

The Once-ler left off with a silent sigh

And the boy just stood, looking up to this guy

The strange guy, who spoke like the old

Not even Grammy, in this way, had told

Him of this Once-ler or of the soft trees

In this silence, he bent his small knees

And sat on the stones, arranged in a ring

And he continued to listen when Once-ler began telling

Of the strange creature he’d called from the Earth,

Once he’d cut down the Tree, and to this world, gave birth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Much of this was inspired by the cut song from the movie, "The Once-ler's Traveling Madness"
> 
> *Canto-phone = Contrived of the Latin word for "music" and phone meaning "sound," this is my Seuss-ical word for "gramophone."  
> *Whinchats = European song birds that reside in grassy meadows


	3. Clean Slate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Once-ler shook his head, closing his eyes  
> So many years since; oh, how time has flown by

「The Lorax, a small fluff of Trufulla fae,

Came out of the tree I'd cut down that day」

The Once-ler thought back to the Lorax

The one whose tongue brought memories back

 

『「I am the Lorax, I speak for the trees

I have words to say to you, if you please

I speak for the trees, as they have no tongues

I ask you now, from the top of my lungs

Why are you here?」He’d said in a huff

「And what have you done to my Truffula tuft?!」』

 

The Once-ler shook his head, closing his eyes

So many years since; oh, how time has flown by

The days when he spent time with this sprite

And the animals. It had been such delight!

Playing music with the Humming Fish,

Listening to the Swans’ pitch

And dancing with the Bar-ba-loots,

The Lorax explaining the trees from their roots

 

Ten months to germinate, he’d said,

Ten more years, not even tufts on their heads!

At one-and-twenty, they become full trees

And the Lorax turned to the Once-ler 「Please?

Don’t chop the rest down; we all need them, see?

They give us fresh fruit, and the air we breathe

Your Thneed cannot do this, though it does much

Perhaps pulling some tufts. It won’t hurt. Not enough

That the trees won’t be able to heal at all

It’d be much better than seeing another fall」

 

As he tried to sell his marvelous Thneed,

The time he spent came haunting me

The animals and Lorax were all so kind

But he would quickly push that from his mind

He wanted to be one of the Greats,

As those before him, who’d helped progression take place

He would sing and jive, he’d have a good time

But people would throw tomatoes and limes

He’d be kicked out of town, sent home walking

The Once-ler would stay in his shop, never talking

 

Didn’t anyone see how the Thneed was great!

All of the useless junk it’d replace?!

He sat under a tree, looking to the sky

Then came the Lorax, who sat next to this guy

At first, the Once-ler ignored the strange sprite

Thinking his sadness was the other’s delight

But many days passed, the Once-ler dejected

To the Valley, he’d go, never rejected

He showed his new friends his music, sweets,

And they would look at the stars, hidden, discrete

 

And the Lorax would tell him of old lore

Of a time when trees ruled over. He’d soar

With the Swans and dive with the Fish

And dance with the Bar-ba-loots if he wished

Oh wonderful place was this Valley,

But the Once-ler never told the little laddy

Of these little details, oh dear no

For there are some secrets for the Once-ler alone

 

Endearing things and feelings, sensations

The boy was too green to have this information

And of all things, it made the Once-ler feel small

To know the Lorax became his greatest friend of all

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *"And the Lorax would tell him of old lore" - The Lorax is the spiritual counter-product of deforestation. Thusly, he is the Lore of the Ax.
> 
> *"To know the Lorax became his greatest friend of all" - Shakespeare often used a different word for "friend" in the play Julius Caesar: "lover"


	4. Cats Paws

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He’d do his best to be an ascetic  
> And to pay heed to the Lorax’s homiletic  
> Words and keep peace with the Valley  
> Little did he know, it’d lead to their finale

The Once-ler wondered if his tale was a bore

But most of his hearing gone, perhaps the boy'd snored

He looked and saw the lad, still attentive

He vaguely wondered of the boy’s incentive

To listen to his story, but he hushed

And made sure to not have his story rushed

 

The boy, however, had begun to cough

The Once-ler waved him off with a scoff

「Come tomorrow,」he advised to the boy

「Why can’t I stay?」The boy sat, like a ploy

To stay longer, but another cough came

And Once-ler didn’t want the boy to be lame

「Go away...」He said. 「Come another day,

Lest you lose your breath」That was all he had to say

 

He heard the boy walk back to his own town

He had the urge to rush the boy back around

Alone he’d been in his Lerkim so dreary,

Where the sour winds blew so eerily

Sixty-six years, he’d stayed in this place

Never seeing a warm, friendly face

He’d look through his boarded window

Looked to the town didn’t care to know

That the world outside was filthy and dark

With nothing to break the landscape so stark

 

 ** _Whamp!_** came the whamping noise he knew well

He looked to the table where meals always fell

A noctivagous thing left food in pail

He'd eat and think 「For the want of a nail」

He never questioned from where it had come

He only asked it never come to his home

The Once-ler thanked the thing he’d never meet,

Took off his gloves, and began to eat

 

He thought of the Lorax, strange little fae

And of all of the fun things they did those days

They’d swum with the fish, played in the shade

With the Bar-ba-loots and Swans; oh, how they’d played!

 

With the thoughts of Thneeds out of his mind,

The Once-ler found the Lorax rather kind

He’d feed the baby animals, keep them safe

And the Once-ler, too, a proud, young waif

「What’s it like in this Green-ville?」 the Lorax inquired.

「Well, people run on sugar and end up tired,

They run and don’t stop, like the world’s at its end

And you don’t matter at all, lest you can buy your friends.」

The Once-ler thought of his family

「But not everyone’s bad. No, not really.

Some people are mean but mean very well,

Like my mother. She’ll be proud if I sell.」

The Lorax grew pensive and looked up to the man

The Once-ler walked to his books「Ever read a diwan?」

 

He showed the sprite stories his mother had gotten

Unlike other things, it’d not been boughten

The first present he remembered his mother getting

Back when his behavior wasn’t so upsetting

When he would stay quiet, away in his room

As she would care for the twins inside of her womb

She was proud that her boy could just disappear

And not upset her friend that would often jeer

At the Once-ler that was still very small

And could hardly remember his father at all

 

The poems entertained them for many hours,

The air only scented with the smell of flowers

The Lorax heard of the beauty of roses,

And then to the Once-ler, he proposes

「You can stay here to live, if you want

If you honor your promise and keep this journey, a jaunt」

The Once-ler, stopping his turning of a page,

Felt their friendship had reached a new age

 

He’d do his best to be an ascetic

And to pay heed to the Lorax’s homiletic

Words and keep peace with the Valley

Little did he know, it’d lead to their finale

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *"Sixty-eight years, he’d stayed in this place" - 1948 is the year in which commercially-made marshmallows were developed. Adding the time it would take for the entire Valley to be void of trees and seeds, being about four years, this leads me to having the Once-ler be 23 at the time of his arrival to the Valley. Currently in story, he'd be 89, which is logical with the way he talks to Ted about the younger generation in the movie. "The Lorax" was published in 1971, the same year when Starbucks was founded, making the random Starbucks references in the film chronologically accurate.
> 
> *「For the want of a nail」 - A reference to the proverbial rhyme that shows small actions leading to large consequences
> 
> *Greenville was the original name of Thneedville before the product's commercial success.
> 
> *The Once-ler seems to be very well educated for a young man. Growing up on a farm does not equate to financial security in education. It would have been around $6000 for the Once-ler to go to a four-year university. However, he already has clear grasps of economics, several sciences, engineering and electronics, financial and business management, and politics. Considering that they run a farm, a business in which most of the income goes back into supplies and plants, the Once-ler's family is not likely to be able to pay (or care) to send him to school. Hence, I give him a collection of diwan poems, Arabic and Persian poems, which emphasized several relationships between allegorical symbols. The one referred to here is that of the Nightingale and the Rose, the lover and the beloved.
> 
> *Homilectic - Relating to a homily or sermon


	5. Rough Wave

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Once-ler, shocked, couldn’t even believe it!  
> His Thneed was really something all people needed!

When the boy returned, he was feeling better

Breathing less with his nose, more through his sweater

And the cough seemed to have gone away

Perhaps the story would finish today?

 

「We’ll make haste in finishing our tale

Less time will give time to heal, less to ail」

The Once-ler seemed lighter in his speech

Perhaps his cheeks were pink, like a peach

The boy nodded, breathing with the cloth

Thus, they continued from where they’d left off

 

「After days with the Lorax and creatures,

I noticed that the Valley seemed fevered

The Lorax said the trees let me be

And they were actually glad for my company」

 

The Once-ler smiled to the Lorax, saying

「I really mean my promise. Know I’m not playing.

This place is a paradise I couldn’t have imagined,

Or else I would have this on my Travel-Agend」

There was no other reason that they could fathom

So neither thought to imagine what could happen

 

The sound of engines and wheels came curling by

And a person’s voice shouted 「Look, it’s that guy!

The guy who made the Thneed that’s so great!」

「Will he let me buy it for $3.98?!」

The vehicles stopped by the Once-ler’s house

And the Valley creatures were as silent as a mouse

 

The Once-ler, shocked, couldn’t even believe it!

His Thneed was really something all people needed!

He looked down to the Lorax, who mimicked his silence

「Lorax, don’t we have an alliance?」

The sprite looked up to the young man

「I promised I wouldn’t hurt this land.

I’ll need help to make sure that won’t be.

Would my family be welcomed to this Valley?」

The Lorax shook his head 「No, that won’t do

The Truffula trees took time to know you

But too many humans being inside this Valley

Could ruin it all. It might be a blind alley.」

 

The Once-ler sighed and went to talk to the crowd

Which was shouting for Thneeds to be sent all around

He calmed them all as best as he could

And tried to calm, too, the tall creatures of Wood

The trees sounded frightened, their tufts waved in the breeze

And the crowd finally left the Valley of Trees

 

The man looked at the choices before him

This kind of power felt very foreign

Never had he had power of choice

And never had he had a true voice

The trees whispered soft 「Stay with us please?

We’ll have you fed with the fruit of us Truffula trees.

We’ll keep you warm, and we’ll keep you safe」

And the Once-ler remembered he was but a waif

 

A man in the forest, all alone in his dreams

He looked down at his Thneed, fresh at its seams

He thought of the Lorax, the kind being small

Thought of the trees, with roots deep and so tall

The Bar-ba-loots, Fish, and Swans  around him, all alone

He looked to the Thneed and thought of his family back home

 

With his head slightly lowered, he nodded

And he went to his home, where he pricked, poked, and prodded

At an old radio-phone he had brought on the journey

And he called his Momma 「I’m a success. Won’t you come to the Valley?」


	6. Fall Off

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Into his small cottage, he walked「Who’s there?」  
> But nothing was there, except for the air  
> 「Who’s there?」 he inquired, but there was no answer  
> And then he heard in his mind a whisper:

The Once-ler sketched out the factory

Where his thneeds would be made so quickly

Of course, that would come later in time

When he had the things to have it come to life

 

「Why do you need them here?」he heard

He turned to the Lorax, who looked hurt

「What’s wrong?」 The Once-ler asked softly

The Lorax answered him by scoffing

 

「You are growing more and more greedy,

And you don’t seem to care for the needy

Animals that you may harm with this plan」

The Once-ler sighed. 「Listen here, man.

I do mean my promise about the trees

And that they’ll stay high and tall. If you please,

Let me have these plans, my friend」

He held out his hand, to make amends

 

At that instant, the Once-ler’s radio-phone rang

He answered it after it rang 「Clangity-clang!」

『Oncie, where do we turn left again?』

「Mom, to North Nitch, and left at Weehawken」

『Okay, dear. We’ll be there by tomorrow』

The Once-ler’s mother then said she had to go

 

The man placed down his phone and smiled

The Lorax, however, sounded rageful and wild

「You think I don’t care about your needs?

The trees invited you, despite your fool Thneeds.

It’s a foolish thing to invite others here」

「I swear to you, you have nothing to fear」

The Once-ler reassured the small one

「Trust me when I say that no harm will be done」

 

The Lorax frowned and stepped back outside

The Once-ler frowned and turned back to design

The rooms for his buildings, and Greenville

Which was fifteen miles away, over two hills

He'd sold only several Thneeds at all,

But already, they'd given him the Key to City Hall

「You’re quite the designer」 they told him, proud

「Could you make buildings to be seen from all ‘round?

We’ll help fund your business, there in the Valley.

Bring more Thneeds to our fundraising rally!」

But they took hours to knit and make,

He'd need a Thneed machine, for his own sake

 

The Once-ler embroidered every Thneed he'd made

So each one was unique, so he'd decorate

He could only imagine what his family would feel

But the amount of orders he received just wouldn't yield

And the needles in his skin sometimes left him scared

It wasn't like the Lorax or his family cared

That's what it sounded like, his Momma's bereavement

Over her oldest son's lack of achievements

Over the blood spilled without reason

Her frowns would stay on every season

 

「I’ll probably need gloves soon」 he said aloud

As the Lorax came to be next to him on the ground

「Your hands are hurting? You may need to rest」

「No」 said the Once-ler 「This is just a test

To see if I really have what it takes」

He never noticed his hands’ quakes and shakes

 

The Lorax watched as the Once-ler worked

Suddenly, he heard something and perked

His ears to the noise that came from outside

He and the man went outside, surprised

 

A horn came a-blaring a musical tune

The vehicle it came from burst into view

It was loud and big, with a horrible exhaust

And several people came out, whom the Once-ler would accost

「You’ll all work for me, knitting the Thneeds

Or sewing or gathering, whatever we need」

 

『Gather? What do you mean 「gather」?』asked his mom, Isabella

「Well, on that note, let me introduce this fella」

The Once-ler introduced the Lorax 「My friend speaks for the trees」

「That is true」 said the Lorax 「They say to leave, if you please!」

 

Aghast, the man excused them both

「What’ s wrong? I promised. I gave you an oath!」

「Will they be so keen on this? You think you’re so strong?

What ever pride you have is most certainly wrong!」

 

The Once-ler frowned, shoulders in a slump

「Look, I don’t want to be in the Gluppity-Glupp

I want to be successful, so I’ve been figgering

That my company is going to need some biggering」

 

The Lorax sighed, body limp with defeat.

He turned to walk away, before his voice came, discreet

「Be careful of the decisions you make

The tree always bends before it breaks

You humans aren’t like that, when so ambitious

And make decisions, not of need, but capricious

Please, keep your promise, you Once-ler, you

And the thoughts that your choices affect us, too」

 

「All right,」 he answered, watching him leave

「Oncie, I’m so proud」said his mother, allowing no reprieve

「Are you really?」 His heart was cheering

It was something he’d always desired hearing

Her words of praise and happiness, clear

「I’m going to set up the factory here」

He explained, unveiling his plans

「Well, I’m certain that it’s in good hands」

Isabella patted his shoulder and kissed his cheeks

And the Once-ler felt more happy than he had in weeks

And months when thinking of home

And all for his Thneed and the Radio-phone

「So we’ll gather the tufts and start from there

A Gather-Matron will later handle the affair」

 

Isabella nodded, leading the family to gather

As the Once-ler sat down and then heard a blather

Into his small cottage, he walked「Who’s there?」

But nothing was there, except for the air

「Who’s there?」 he inquired, but there was no answer

And then he heard in his mind a whisper:

「Hello, Mr Once-ler.」

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> * All of the original short references :)  
> * I wanted more of the conflict that was involved in the original short. There is a hesitancy to the 2012 Once-ler that could have been expanded beautifully.  
> * The Once-ler has a name in this story, but I will choose to reveal it or not later.  
> * Guess who?


	7. Header

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 『Let’s get bigger and bigger, won’t that be fun?』  
> 「Then we can keep biggering and biggering until we’re done」

The old Once-ler avoided the telling of this part

From the boy’s expression, it’d strain his small heart

He bid the boy adieu and good day

And he heard the boy say he’d come back the next day

 

The Once-ler, now old and weak,

Remembered the voice that started small and meek

 

『Hello, Mr Once-ler』  came the voice clear

「Who are you?」the said man asked in fear

Oh, he was terrified of the phantom

『Don’t worry, sir. I’m still very bantum.

Oh, Mr Once-ler, don’t be scared. Please call me,

By what I am and will be: Rapacity.』

「Okay, but what do you want, Greedy?」

『Nothing much, Mr Tall-and-Reedy

I just want to help your company grow,

And teach you all the good things you don’t know』

 

The Once-ler sat down, slumped down in his seat

Wondering from where the voice came, what caused it to bleat

『Oh, how big your factory will be!

Can you think of how proud your mother will be?』

That made the Once-ler smile and nod

「She will be very proud. By God,

Why should I stop there anyway?

I can make it big enough for workers to stay

And the family won’t work hard anymore.

We just need to expand from this small store!」

 

Greed let out a warm purr in the man’s ear

As the pencil moved from far to near

On every inch of the page, there was a design

Every machine he’d created made of only lines

But they’d turn into something so great

He’d be known in every town, county, and state

 

『Let’s get bigger and bigger, won’t that be fun?』

「Then we can keep biggering and biggering until we’re done」

『Why stop at all?』 The voice did say

「Well...」And the Once-ler found he had nothing to negate

The voice’s desire for the Once-ler to succeed

「I think we’ll get along just fine, Mr Greed」

 

Get along, everyone did for a time,

And the Once-ler never questioned the reason or rhyme

For the one he called 「Greed-ler」 for being

As it never stopped the progress he was seeing

Thneeds being sold on a bi-daily basis

And on the Valley, their work left no traces

 

But the Lorax had not visited for many a day

And the Once-ler discovered he didn't like it that way

『Dear one』 he heard 『Don't think of him

Look at the wonderful position we're in』

「I think I miss him, Greed」 the Once-ler confessed

『 Child, you heard him. That is, unless,

You didn't hear what he had said

You're not friends, but acquaintances instead』

 

That's when he finished the design of the factory

Where several dozen workers would be in charge of manufacturing

 

「Oncie」 he heard 「Come here, outside」

「Coming, mom」the Once-ler swiftly replied

He came outside, where he was greeted

By a hug from his mother; something inside him retreated

 

「Momma?」 The Once-ler could smell her perfume

「Oncie, you don't how proud I am of you」

He returned the embrace 「I don't, do I?」

「No」 she sing-songed 「Look how hard you tried

And your Thneed's a success.

Would it be alright if I bought a new dress?」

 

The Once-ler nodded and handed her some cash

And the kisses and hugs came to him as a clash

Of anything he'd known from her, Mrs. Funce-ler

The mother of a sad little Once-ler

As she walked to the new car he'd bought,

The Once-ler wondered, wondered if he ought

To be suspicious, and maybe even careful,

Of his family; maybe he'd be a bit prayerful

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Welcome, Greed-ler. "Bantum" is a real word.  
> *The Once-ler continues to have some hesitation with biggering his company, though he continues to find excuses for it. In the 1972, he literally has conversations with himself regarding this matter. In the movie, his family's behavior is the medium he uses for this. Truthfully, we can't even be sure if his family existed, as he is really the only one that has lived since the Valley was there. Grammy Norma doesn't even remember what happened to the trees, even though the Valley wasn't far from Greenville, and there is speculation that she and the Once-ler were the same age (which has just been proven unlikely).


	8. Sampan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Once-ler sat and sat, like a statue  
> And the Greed-ler’s words sat in his mind like a cachou  
> 「Only a few trees, to gain up some speed」  
> 『Of course, dear one. Only what we need』

『Shall we rest a while?』 the Greed-ler inquired

The Once-ler nodded, he'd seem to have perspired

As he reached for the tufts from the trees

He waved to his family; to his home, he flees

He sat at his desk, drawing away

The new architecture he'd thought of that day

 

The Lorax's voice came to his head

「I wonder what he meant when he said

That thing about trees so tall

And about the different way they could fall」

『Can't see how amazing you are?

He's really stopping you from being a star.

You aren't hurting the trees, like you swore,

And you're still making money galore!』

 

「You're right, it's amazing what I can do!

I wonder why he doesn't understand like you...」

He sketched out some buildings for cash

And dropped them in some envelopes in a flash,

As a mailman came by for the usual mail.

「Yeah, there's no way this could fail」

 

For an hour, he sat looking through orders

For Thneeds; some new, some enough for hoarders

He looked to the blueprints of his building

With its tall towers and walls with gilding

「You know, I'm rather proud of me」

『That, my dear, is how it should be』

 

「Oncie, dear」rang the voice of his Mum

「Yes, Momma?」he asked, to which she hummed

「We're not filling orders fast enough.

It just takes too long to get enough tufts.」

「What could we do to make them faster?」

His mother made a strange smile which he couldn't master

 

「We could just start to cut down the trees」

At that, he protested, but she said 「Please

You're a businessman now, son

Put away that concept of fun

In doing thing the hard way

In your very limited days.

If we're inefficient, we'll stop getting orders

And we need all the tufts to not cut corners!

You need to do what's best for the company」

And she smiled 「You don't know how proud I'd be.」

 

He was left alone for a while, to think things over.

He was certain that his mother was the drover

Who commanded his family, wind, and stars

And was now purchasing all of their cars

And handling sales at speeds break-neck

「I think that I need to check-」

 

『Are you really going to speak to him?

Your relationship with him is quite grim.

You haven’t spoken to him in weeks!

You think he’ll agree if you act all meek?』

 

「I’m sure we can agree on something, Greed!」

『But the Thneed is a thing that all people need!

He’s told of the trees, how long it takes

To grow! Think how many Thneeds he’ll let you make!

The answer is close to your ruin! He’ll rage and slur!』

And then the Greed-ler came close, with a purr

 

『Oh, my dear one』 he whispered 『Don’t worry!

To decide on this, there will be no hurry!

I love you most, as I certainly should.

Just rest a while』 And he sat on the wood

Of the workbench they shared, Onceler joined him there

And for a moment, in the cottage, there wasn’t a care

 

The man sat to ponder what lay in store,

Of the choice to agree or continue this chore

His hands were shaking, he finally noticed

He pushed it into part of his mind remotest

To what he wanted to see, wanted to feel

To have this problem had no appeal

He pressed himself to the Greed-ler, sighing

And to the hand on his back, not away shying

He gained a comfort from touch, he knew

It reminded him of the tufts the trees grew

Always soft and sweet, and clear and mossy

Reminding him of the fur never glossy

 

The hand came up and clenched hard on his hand

The Once-ler’s eyes opened, seeing a sadness grand

The Greed-ler was frowning, a deep scary frown

『Why is it you think of him, who makes you down?

Why don’t you think of what makes you go up,

What keeps you out of the Gluppity-Glupp?』

 

A gentle caress over his aching head,

he heard 『Child, you’ve nothing to dread.

What of the Lorax, then? He’s no friend.

However, I will stay with you ‘til the end.

I support all you do, most truthfully do.

For you, does he have in his heart enough room?』

 

There were unspoken words that filled the air

And the Once-ler felt he was trapped somewhere

Somewhere in the dark of his heart

There was a small, shadowed part

It cried and screamed for something to give,

Letting out thoughts like sand in a sieve

And one idea stuck out like a light

And it said that biggering and biggering was all right

 

「Do I need to cut down every tree?」

『No, dear. We won’t act superfluously.

We’ll take what we need for our business grow

Because everyone needs a Thneed, as you know

But we, like the trees, must also grow, too,

And there’s no-one that knows what you need more than you』

 

The Once-ler sat and sat, like a statue

And the Greed-ler’s words sat in his mind like a cachou

「Only a few trees, to gain up some speed」

『Of course, dear one. Only what we need』

 

An osculation occurred, leaving them both silent

And leading to a cutting of trees, not short of violent

And they ignored the Lorax’s whose hopes would dampen

As they ventured into the darker world on a little sampan

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *I never said that these ships were fulfilled.  
> *They never mention Gluppity-Glupp in the movie. WHY?!?!?!?!?!?!


	9. Lumber Hooker

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 『Do you think he trusts?』 said Greed-ler, all hushed  
> 「I think so」 the Once-ler replied, his soul feeling brushed  
> Or a buss, or something that was so kind  
> And he kept the Lorax’s trust in his mind

「You’re breaking your promise!」was heard

By the Once-ler inside as his stomach curled

「You are better than this bad idea, you fool!」

The man decided to set down his shuber-tool

Which measured the quality of his Thneed

Thneeds that were being made at a much quicker speed!

 

「Bad? I’m not bad at all. There’s no way!」

And he only listened to what the Greed-ler had to say

『Of course not, dear. You’re finally happy, see?

How on Earth can be bad for the trees?

Your work is very important for your health!

You think that you don’t need all this wealth,

Without putting your mind to good use?

After all,』he said『you’re still in your youth』

 

The Once-ler nodded, knitting the newest one

And he thought of how his mother was having fun

Advertising the newest designs and blueprints

He’d created for Greenville in months since

He’d arrived in the Valley and stayed

With only Lorax and Greed-ler as spiritual aides

 

『Let’s not think about that, darling.

Let’s listen to your happiness, like a starling’s』

 

The Mayor of Greenville was pleased with the designs

And so he met with the Once-ler with papers to sign

「We shall pay  you in greenbacks, for sure」

The price given had the Greed-ler following the spoor

 

『「Dear Mayor」』 said the Greed-ler 『「Yes, for sure

But think of all the employees my business would lure.

We’ve many designs for factories and edifices.

Now you’re on one of possible precipices.

You give me more money, which you know we’ve earned,

Or you give up the deal, I move, you get burned」』

 

The Mayor bit his tongue, and he laughed softly

「Of course, sir. We do want your things awfully.」

He brought up the amount in full

And bid adieu and to have a day most fruitful

 

「They hear you?」 The Once-ler asked, receiving silence

『... You sound displeased with my form of guidance.』

「I don’t mind. I was just… Tell me when you do that.」

『All right. Forgive me, darling. Look, where we sat.』

 

There sat the Lorax, a scowl on his face.

「What do you think you’re doing to this place?」

「Lorax, I’m not changing the Valley at all-」

「Says the one who wouldn’t let a tree fall!」

 

「We just need to pick up the pace!

I'm building something to avoid this taking place

Ever again!」 The Once-ler pleaded. 「I promise you this!」

He held out the hand, but the Lorax didn't put out his

 

「You broke your promise and how dare you

Try and validate all that you dare do!」

「You don’t know what I’m planning, you Lorax!

Don’t you understand this will help? Just relax!」

The Lorax glared at him with slight malice

And the Once-ler felt offended by the Lorax’s parti pris

 

「... I will trust your plans, you Once-ler, you

But only because you’ve stopped before. Yes, it’s true」

The Lorax turned away to join the animals’ play

He was then unseen for seven days

 

『Do you think he trusts?』 said Greed-ler, all hushed

「I think so」 the Once-ler replied, his soul feeling brushed

Or a buss, or something that was so kind

And he kept the Lorax’s trust in his mind

As he developed the designs for Green-ville’s town

And monitored the number of trees on the ground

 

『My dear is pleased?』 the Greed-ler whispered

「I am」 the man uttered, and shivered

『What’s cause for discord, my child dear?』

「I’m wondering, now, what I’m doing here

Am I just to be, or am I to be remembered?

Or will my very memory be dismembered?」

『Don’t worry about what the Lorax says

About his rules that are only a poor cy pres』

The Greed-ler cooed  『Just pay him no heed

Just think of the enterprise that you lead!

My dear Once-ler you’ll surely succeed

After all, Thneeds are something that everyone needs!』

 

Within the week before the Lorax returned

Greed-ler saw that the sprite's words were spurned

Instead of a Gather-matron for the tufts

A Super Ax-Hacker made the trees fall like slough

Four at a time! It was a wonderful scene,

Until the Lorax came with his face almost green

 

The Once-ler was playing with a small Bar-ba-loot

The one he called Pipsqueak and was very cute

They ate some fruit from out of the area

As there was no work today in honor of a feria

When the Lorax showed up, the time seemed ripe

For the sprite to let out a proper gripe

 

「Once-ler, what is happening to this Valley?

You gave me your word, but now there's a galley

Of your workers, all cutting down my trees,

Killing them faster than the Pink Disease!」

 

The Once-ler bent down to talk to the fellow

「Now, now, Lorax, don't act so yellow!

The faster we build this factory here,

The faster we'll stop sending trees to be sheered!」

 

The Lorax didn't answer him, only looked far

To the inside of his home, where the Greed-ler sat stark

Against the headboard, a strange look on his face

「What's a thing like him doing in this place?」

 

「Leave him alone, Moustache. I mean what I say.

Trust me, the faster things go, we'll all be okay!」

The sprite looked up to the man, and then outside

Where the Bar-ba-loots were leaving without a guide

 

「You forget I'm also Caretaker for the Bar-ba-loots,

And with less trees now, there are less Trufulla fruits

To go around and share with among them.」

He looked over to the small one as he tried to condemn

This man that stood here in front of him

「You think you can continue this lifestyle of vim?」

 

The Once-ler looked down to Pipsqueak, too,

As the family that the Bar-ba-loot ever knew

Was beginning to leave the Trufulla Valley

And the thought left him rather unhappy

 

「All right」 he let out in a snuffling croak

That hopefully was disguised with a disgruntled smoke

The Lorax nodded as the Once-ler went out

Going to talk with his family and tout

 

『We can take care of the small Bar-ba-loot』

The Lorax heard 『And let him play in his Bar-ba-loot suit』

「You stay away」 the Lorax did say

「You're corrupting the Once-ler in a horrible way」

 

『What do you care? You're a thing of his past.

After all, wasn't it you that said it last?

You are not friends. No, don't shake your head.

I'm only repeating the words that you said

The words that certainly hurt him the most』

 

The Greed-ler smiled, silent, just as his host

Came inside, looking around,

Dismissing the Lorax that stood on the ground.

A plea was heard in the small cottage,

And something in cottage was held hostage,

As a new thing began to grow in the Once-ler

Something that was certain to shirr

 

As the Lorax left, he saw the young man,

Sit down with his family and discuss his plan

The Lorax nodded and went on his way,

While Pipsqueak stayed in the cottage to play

Oh, how he'd tell the child? He didn't know.

He could only help the others as they readied to go.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *All the original short references~  
> *Parti pris - an unfounded/not validated opinion  
> *Cy pres - a rule that when literal compliance is impossible, the intention of a donor or testator should be carried out as nearly as possible  
> *Pink disease - serious bark disease of many tropical crop trees (coffee, citrus, rubber); branches have a covering of pink hyphae  
> * Yellow - Yellow bile is representative of the choleric temperament. The choleric temperament is traditionally associated with fire. People with this temperament tend to be egocentric and extroverted. They may be excitable, impulsive, and restless, with reserves of aggression, energy, and/or passion, and try to instill that in others. They can be best reached through mutual respect and appropriate challenges that recognize their capacities.  
> *Vim - an imaginative lively style


	10. Lay Day

 The Once-ler worked from inside of his office

Which let him stay away from all t'was amiss

He sat in his chair, with his guitar in hand

「Maybe I should just... maybe... disband?」

『And give up on everything that you planned?

What of your factory's need to expand?』

「We saw what happened with the Bar-ba-loots firsthand!」

The pain on their faces, he almost couldn't withstand

 

The Once-ler lowered his voice, staying quiet

Looking over to Pipsqueak, the only one beset

From the Bar-ba-loots by the Once-ler and

The receiver of a dead hand

 

『Are you ashamed, my dear?』 he was asked

It was not as if he had not basked

In the glory that his Thneed was making

He noticed again that his hands were shaking

As he uttered 「Why am I on trial?」

And he paused, swallowing some bile

 

『Are you ashamed by what you can do?

You aren't denying its wrong. No, you shew

That you have a reason for doing these things,

But it isn't as though you just sit there and wring

The land for everything that it is』

The Greed-ler held the Once-ler's hand in his

 

『Dear heart, you know that this is ungood,

But think of others. Someone else would!

Emulate, they would! But they'd feel no guilt!

They'd toss the thought aside with a jilt!』

 

The Once-ler was silent, completely mute

For a time, looking at the Greed-ler's strange long suit

「All right.」 He agreed, finding the other's reasoning astute

The Greed-ler as intelligent, the Once-ler did repute

 

「Yes, you're right!」 The Once-ler did say,

「No, we won't be set back by this lay day

I'm sure that they'll come back soon, so

We'll keep on biggering because progress must grow!」

 

The Greed-ler sighed and gave a small smile

『Of course, my dear. I will be here all the while.』

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *More 1972 references :)  
> *Lay day - An unexpected delay time during a voyage often spent at anchor or in a harbor. It is usually caused by bad weather, equipment failure or needed maintenance.


	11. Jonah

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 『You come to take his opportunity away?  
> And all you have are cruel words to say  
> About his right to be happy, praised, and smile,  
> Which he allows because your words do beguile!』

As the days passed, things were advancing quite well

The Once-ler was handling all of the make-and-sell

The Greed-ler handled the harsher meetings

Where all that mattered were firm greetings

Everything occurred without any hassle

A king and a courtier in their own little castle

 

『Are you happy, my dear?』 The Greed-ler inquired

「Of course!」 The Once-ler asserted; He had all he desired

His mother's praise was giving him such strength

It was enough to help him last any length

Of time that he was spending away from his home

Which was now in his building of metal and brome

「And to think that this was something I was afraid to start!

Making my Thneeds that are now works of art!

From Timbuktu to Texas, we're spreading them fast

And now we're famous and happy at last!」

 

 

 

『That is a wonderful thing to hear, my dear.

And to think that the Lorax thought this would all be a bier』

The Greed-ler pressed his head to the other

And murmured words that his shoulder seemed to smother

The Once-ler pushed the other from his suit

「Is something wrong?」 he asked, but the other was mute

 

Words came out a while after, and he certainly paid heed.

『Would you like to hear of what things that I need?』

「Certainly. Tell me what you want and need?」

『Really?』 He laughed. 『You'll listen to me, made of greed?』

「What will you tell me, dear heart?」 The Once-ler cooed,

And every thought came out that ever accrued

 

A small cry was heard and both turned to it,

Out came Pip the cub, holding a Truffula whit

They invited the child to sit on their bed to eat.

As he nibbled on the fruit, the Once-ler noticed conceit

As it welled in his heart and it grew in its size

「You know, I'm finally beginning to realize...」

The Greed-ler and Pip were silent and the man

Walked around to his desk, where he had a plan

Of the new buildings of Green-ville, prepared

For the ideas of the Once-ler, its laird

 

「I really need so much of this stuff

No more of that cottage, where I knitted those tufts.」

He looked to his desk 「I need a bigger desk there

More workers, and even a bigger hat to wear」

The vision he displayed as an entrepreneur,

Did more than he thought, but business partners, it'd lure

 

『Dear, that's something I've been figgering,

That we need to keep on biggering and biggering』

「There's something I noticed」 The Once-ler did say

『Oh, my dear』 he was answered 『This is our good day!』

「It's something I noticed, that all this is triggering

A deep, sudden urge; a need to keep biggering!」

 

The days continued, with the Once-ler carrying Pip

Along as he continued on this strange power trip

That was causing him to hear a voice from long ago

From back when the trees grew and sweet wind would blow

 

It came in the form of the Lorax, which left him unsure

As he worked on some pipes and tried to leave them secure

「Hey, listen to me, you Once-ler, you meathead

I'm going to speak! Even if you don't hear what I've said!

The Swomee-Swans can't sing a note

For all of your Smoggulous-Smoke in their throats!

I have to send them away. I don't know where they'll go」

The Once-ler set down a wrench, his heart feeling low

 

「But there's more to be said and I hope that you get

That the Greed you have there, it acts like a pet,

And the more you feed it, the hungrier it gets,

But it really relies on what are your regrets!」

The Lorax continued his tale of Greed

That it worms its way into what people think they need

About how it always, always, always needs to feed

And the Once-ler didn't know how to interpret his screed

 

「And that worm, that thing, is never satisfied

Because there's a thing inside you that likes to hide!

You said it when you were beginning and lied

To me! Yes, it's all due to your pride!

That's why you're biggering, you fool!」

To say it didn't hurt, the Once-ler would be cruel

「Don't you see what that's triggering?

All you recycle is biggering, and more biggering!」

 

The Lorax left for only a while,

While the Once-ler wore the opposite of a smile

And when the sprite returned, he was frowning as well,

Talking of the Humming Fish that were finally quelled

By the Gluppity-Glupp and Schloppity-Schlop in their pond

So the Lorax sent them off, the fish leaving their home once-fond

 

『You think you understand him?』 A voice came clear

In came the Greed-ler whose face held a sneer

『You come to take his opportunity away?

And all you have are cruel words to say

About his right to be happy, praised, and smile,

Which he allows because your words do beguile!』

 

「You thing! You creature! You act so high because you lead a claque-」

『 **l led people To it. left Them Here. Never Came back.**

I love this child far more than you, you Lorax!

It's never as if you've helped him relax,

Only pile him with more to deal with needlessly

Because you always treat him so heedlessly!』

 

The Lorax bit his tongue and looked up to the man

Who had stayed silent as if on his voice, there'd been a ban

「I implore you, Once-ler, please hear me out.

The fine things of Earth are on their way out.

I know you think I'm old and in the past,

But this progress is progressing too fast!」

 

There was a tension in the air so thick

And the Lorax, from the smog, felt so sick

He went into the office where he and Greed sat,

Waiting for the Once-ler, who came in with his top hat

In his hands, with his face looking dour

And words filled the room, making it very sour

 

The the speakers came voice that anoints

All goings-on, with twenty-seven and five-eighths points

 

「There's a value of nature that I'm sure that you know

They call it a natural selection; this is how it'd go

Animals, even people, all fight for their lunch

And if they don't, their lives end with a crunch.

This company is me, an animal trying to survive!」

The Once-ler continued, in his eyes a fire alive

「I've been struggling to survive. Yes, and I've

Been fighting for this company, my reason to thrive!

 

「I'll keep on biggering! Yes, that's what I'm figgering!

You don't understand what this biggering is triggering!

I’ll bigger my fact’ries! Oh yes, I will!

Do you think I care of the things I kill?」

The Lorax disagreed, with the Once-ler dismissing dying

When from his eyes, true tears he was crying

 

「This will make me happy! I’ll make you see!

You’ll be stuck in the Glump, envying me!

There's no stop to my growing- Don't try to look sad,

Because you, and everyone, just say I've been bad!

Never a word of liking or praise or care;

Certainly not from you, and only the Greed-ler there!

So I'll keep turning these Truffula trees into Thneeds,

Which is something that everyone, EVERYONE needs!」

 

Something was fracturing, crumbling, breaking,

And in each creature there, a heart was aching

 

And then everyone turned as they heard a loud _whack_!

Down with a  _whack_ , a Truffula tree seemed to rack

The Earth as it fell; oh, yes it did fall

The very last Truffula tree of them all

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *This chapter is inspired by the song Biggering.  
> *bier - a coffin along with its stand  
> * 『l led people To it. left Them Here. Never Came back.』 - I was scribbling on my tablet. It came out like this when the tablet decided to turn into words.


	12. Derelict

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 『I loved you』

The Once-ler looked to the tree on the ground

And then he made a quick look around

And saw that there were no more trees

Nothing left in the Valley, save death and disease

 

The once-wet pond was now dark and grimy

The once-fresh air left the swans feeling slimy

And the little Bar-ba-loot had been left all alone

As it ventured out to see its old home

And it let out a wail! A most haunting cry!

「And I know it will haunt me until the day that I die.」

The Once-ler looked down to the boy down below,

And he wondered what else he wanted to know

 

「What happened next, if I may inquire?」

The boy stood up quietly, having difficulty to respire

The Once-ler, old man, was quiet now

Those memories surely affected him, but how?

「What happened next? Please, Mr. Once-ler,

I'd've anything to give you so I may know, sir?」

 

「It's all right,」 he received 「No, you're not a bother.」

The Once-ler nodded. Yes, just like the father

That he had tried to be for the small ball of fur

Whose fur became, not soft, but like a burr

As it ran through the wide empty field

And dug into the ground, which had no fruit to yield

The Lorax and Once-ler both ran after the tyke,

The man's hat falling off like a diving shrike

But the Axe-Hacker man was not looking around

And with a swift slice, the cub did fall to the ground

 

And there was no cheering from anyone there

As the Once-ler bent down and held Pip in despair

The Lorax berated, the employee did jeer,

And suddenly Isabella, his mother, did appear

『What is going on? I thought you had this settled

And- Look! Did this thing have you nettled?』 

The Once-ler stood and a loud slap was heard

『Don't talk about him like that! Don't think him absurd!』 

 

And Isabella shooed the employees away

As more workers gathered with something to say

Murmurs of no more work to be done spread,

And many looked to the Once-ler, their eyes looking dead

『We've nothing else now』 『Just what do we do?』

『We can't even build a business! We have to start new!』

 

The workers muttered words of assent

And off in their cars and trucks, they all went

Isabella stood silent, never offering herself or consoling

『I certainly thought that this may sound controlling

Things that we can't, but why did you tell us

That we should get rid of you? A truss

I used to keep you here with me

But I should have cut you out, when you grew uselessly』

The Once-ler didn't mutter any answer back

He just wished he'd never brought the axes that hack

 

「And my family took many of my things, hopped into their cars

And they drove away under smoke-covered stars

They've stayed silent, the stars. The same with the skies,」

And the stars never rise, but I feel the bright eyes

Of the something I saw, in the Lorax back then」

And the Once-ler became very silent again

 

As a memory returned, to where it'd begun

Where the man and his shadow were now considered done

The Lorax stayed close, feeling very wary

And stayed with the man, slow to tarry

 

『I loved you』 the Lorax did say

『You were my friend, with the promise that day

Do you even remember the friends that you made?

And how, despite your choices and values, they stayed?』

 

The Once-ler looked up from the small cadaver

And something about the sprite made him slaver

『Prove it』 he answered, setting the body down,

And grabbed a tool he kept by for when he started to drown

 

There was no more Greed-ler, it'd been him all along

And in the Lerkim, there were sounds like a song

Of violence and discord against the melody of life

And scar after scar came from the Once-ler's knife

The man rolled in pain as he tried to attack

But the Lorax never ever threw a blow back

Blood dripped from the bleeding heart of the man

As each blow came back to him without a timespan

Of respite or care, not even to relax,

While the man harmed himself, never the Lorax

 

As the mirror shattered with no resolution,

The man was left, sobbing for absolution

The Lorax sighed and gave no consolation

Just gave a pat on his head without elation

The sprite walked away and shook his furry head

And said 『I truly thought you'd be the trees' friend』

 

「I heard him say nothing, just give me a glance

A sad backward glance and hoisted himself by the seat of his pants

And he flew up, disappeared through a hole in the sky

And all that was left was my factory... and I

 

「But I was left but a word, there on that stone

Perhaps, I thought, I could use it to atone」

The boy looked where he sat surrounded by little cress

Where the Once-ler was pointing... at a word... 『「Unless?」』

 

「Yes,」 the Once-ler answered as he thought

「What is that? Do I know? Do I ought?」

「A faraway thought... And now I understand.

The Lorax wants you to save this land.

UNLESS someone like you cares a whole awful lot,

Nothing's going to get better... It's not.」

 

As the boy absorbed his words with pondering on his face,

He turned around to take leave of this place

But the Once-ler let out a shout 「No, don't go!

I've something for you! Where'd I- Oh! I know!」

 

The Once-ler reached into his gruvvulous glove

And he pulled out the one thing that received all his love

For the past many years 「Here. Catch now! Don't muff!」

And for a moment, he thought he smelled a Truffula tuft

 

「You're in charge of the last of the Truffula seeds

And Truffula trees are what everyone needs

Give clean water, clear air, and your care

Make it so that they grow everywhere!

Protect it from the axes that hack,

And maybe... the Lorax and his friends may come back」

 

The boy left with the seed in his hands,

Cradled so his fingers wouldn't let it fall to the sands

And the Once-ler smiled a small backwards smile

「I don't feel at peace, not even after this trial」

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Derelict - Cargo at the bottom of the ocean that no one has any hope of reclaiming  
> *I love Pip. My apologies.  
> *Truss - A bandage to keep a hernia in place  
> *And the stars never rise, but I feel the bright eyes - "Annabel Lee" by Edgar Allen Poe  
> *Shakespeare often used the term 「lover」 for friend, especially evident in 「Julius Caesar」.  
> *Unless... - This is required and applicable to every conflict.
> 
> *Coition happened?


	13. Broach

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Once-ler recalled his many years in the Lerkim  
> In the highest tower of his factory grim
> 
> AKA a flashback chapter

The Once-ler recalled his many years in the Lerkim

In the highest tower of his factory grim

 

The emptiness of the building was cold

And it finally left the Once-ler feeling old

He stayed in the attic with little food

As he punished himself for his actions ungood

Every once in a while, he tried to relax

And he could sometimes see the Lorax

 

『Do you eat anymore?』 was a thought.

「No, not really... Maybe I ought.」

The air outside left him running a cough

He made a motion to try and doff

His gloves, but they stayed on tight

As he tried to stay warm in the night

『Keep them on, just stay warm』

He was alone again, braving the storm

 

He began to count the days but stopped

When thinking about the trees he'd lopped

Their voices were no longer there

Comfort him or give him care

As they had promised him years ago

The Once-ler was finally left alone

 

His food ran out and months had passed

Something inside him made him hurry fast

To the town of Green-ville, hours away

To obtain some food that would keep hunger at bay

 

It had changed much, and it made him stoic

At the changes that happened so quick

Motorized carts, no animals at all

And a few buildings that stood so tall

 

He found a newspaper of current date

And was surprised by his body's state

「Nine months? Only nine?」 he whispered

Perhaps listening close for the other Once-ler

 

A voice came in his ears and said

『Move quickly』 And the Once-ler fled

Into the darkness between buildings and

Where he could hide and not take a stand

Weak was his body, mind, and soul

He no longer had any goal

He fell asleep against unforgiving stone,

Just thinking of the sin he wanted to atone

 

Metal hit his head, his coat not hindering

Any kind of pain that was lingering

He could not see, for his vision was red

And heard jeers and yells and 「Why aren't you dead?

We left you to rot in your old factory!

Perhaps we can find this satisfactory!」

 

Bones were broken, yet nothing bled

Perhaps all this was just inside of his head

But his waking, one day, to a nurse, unnerved

The Once-ler, as it was more than he deserved

 

A doctor came in, chastising him

「Look, sir, you are far too slim!

How and where do you live, to be this way?

If you need help, you can certainly stay.」

The Once-ler didn't answer, only asked for his gloves

As the doctor reminded him of someone from above

『Keep the gloves on』 was what he was told

And it was a task that he would uphold

 

「Do you know who I am?」 he asked the healer

The doctor sighed 「I'm more concerned that you're a reeler

You may have caused suffering and despair on this town

But that is no reason to just let you drown」

「I let many drown, others I pushed under」

The Once-ler cried 「Let me be torn asunder」

 

They kept him there until he had healed

And soon the identity of the doctor was revealed

A kind person with a kind family

Spouse, parent, a son and a daughter Nilly

He asked them their ages, and was surprised

That their years were younger than he realized

The children were said to be still small

But they didn't look that way at all!

「It may be because of the air」 one replied

The nurse that helped him when he'd nearly died

「No more clean air means a horrible cough

And when that's your problem, you might be better off

Aging faster and moving on

To something bigger to build upon」

 

The Once-ler healed at his own pace

And he quickly took leave of that place

But they made him a promise as he waved Good-Bye

「We'll come bring you food to live by

We'll keep you company, as all people need.」

When he left, the Once-ler's heart did bleed

 

「Please, no more... Don't say it like a creed.

That is the very same thing I said of my Thneed.」

He walked on reeling legs, shaky indeed

And when he arrived at his Lerkim, he committed the deed

Of placing a sign upon an old street pole

That was secured smartly with a thole

 

Here was the Street of the Lifted Lorax, here

Something inside of him wanted to cheer

There was something he did remember, yes!

That task alone was something to bless!

 

But there was no one to offer any form of praise

And alone, the Once-ler would spend more days

How dare he have any sort of joy

After all of the promises he made while coy

 

Several weeks passed by. Doctor and Nilly came

With food and Nilly's curly hair tame

「So you made the Thneeds?」

「I thought it was something a person would need...」

Nilly offered him cookies and a kind, friendly smile

One that reminded him that he was vile

A small little cub, with similar curls

Whose death signaled the end of his world

 

「 _Ein_ , what's that?」 Nilly inquired, sincere

Pointing at pictures the Once-ler had made appear

On his walls, when the loneliness was worst

And he reached for the one she indicated first

「These are the things I saw long ago

See? This was a snail that crawled very slow

And this is its shell, its own little house.

Could you believe it crawled slow, like a mouse?」

「I remember mice」 said Nilly with a grin

「Do you think they found a new place to live in?」

 

The Once-ler bit his lip, gave a weak grin

「Yes, they probably found a new place to begin.」

And he was surprised at the things she'd not seen

Even though she was born when the landscape was green

He showed her the coins he saved just in case

When they brought him food to this place

「Let this be your pay instead

Show her what you've seen」 The doctor said

「What does she want to know?」 And Nilly replied

「Can you tell me what happened for the trees to have died?」

 

Silence filled the Lerkim and the Once-ler's mind

「... I can tell you the answers, but first you've to find

Fifteen cents and a rusty old nail

And the shell of a great-great-great-grandfather snail」

Nilly pondered the list and sat down with a pout

The Once-ler gestured, to her parent, the way out

「Please... Don't let her ask that of me

Of these thoughts, I just want to be free

Let her think something fanciful, have glee

And when she asks, remind her of my fee」

 

The doctor began to sound but stayed mute

And took the girl back to their way to commute

Leaving the Once-ler alone again

Bringing only food, as he was beyond their ken

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *That moment when you find words that you didn't know existed and are pertinent to the situation = :D  
> *Ein = One in German; Many languages that are not Latin-based have a similar pronunciation and spelling, like the Dutch "één" and the Swedish/Danish/Norwegian "en."  
> *The medical community, ideally, operates on healing without bias being factored into the care provided.  
> *Nilly is adorable in my head.  
> *Ken = field of vision/range of understanding or knowing


	14. Breakwater

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is the last chapter. I thank those that stuck with it.

Nilly rarely came now, but she was happy

And now she called the Once-Ier her Pappy

Because he was warm like her father and brother,

And he was musical like her mother

The Once-ler would brush through her curls

And listen to the stories of the girl

Of her family and friends, such wonderful things

The Once-ler would make music on old guitar strings

 

After listening to one musical tune that left a brighter tone

The doctor said softly 「You've enough acts for you to be atoned

「You torture yourself with the pain and the cold.

「And here you are, teaching our daughter about the mould」

The Once-ler shook his head once, twice, and then he sighed

「No, my acts can ne'er make up the trees what had died」

 

「Then what will you do? The walls are being built」

「Then I will stay outside with the death and the guilt.」

Nilly waved to her Pappy on the very last day

The doctor, her father, finally took her away

They went behind a wall that encircled the city

The doctor giving the Onceler a back glance of pity

He remembered only a few things now, of heart

Of his friends, the Lorax, and the joy in his part

Of the world that was free from the spite

That he knew in the bright daylight

While in the forest of the Trufulla Trees

He'd see the joys in the stars, the scent of the breeze

 

It was days later that the Onceler did visit the creature he'd dreamt of

A strange gift from the spirit that lived up above

Her hair was bright like that of the sprite

And her eyes held innocence, as a Barbaloot's might

She was sweet and he named her for what he wished

And he hoped his love for her never diminished

A beacon of strength in the heart of his despair

And he would always go to find her there

For years he traveled, wishing to see her

And it was so, until the walls were made stronger

 

He closed every window, every door,

And he despaired for the daughter he'd always adore

Years passed, and soon there had passed twelve

In his belongings he did delve

He found his Thneed, and he tied it to the rafter

Stopping only on his chair at sounds outsides, and after

Meeting a boy that loved a girl that loves trees

The Once-ler fell to his knees

He told him the story and gave him the seed

And he turned to the thing that he did truly need

 

The Lorax carried the small soul away

In hopes it'd bloom into a small tree one day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Nilly~  
> *Darn - something of little value
> 
> *The first draft of the beginning was lost, sadly


End file.
